Lazy tongs linkage having removable and replaceable links



Nov. 21, 1961 s. MEYERSON ET AL 3,009,314

LAZY TONGS LINKAGE HAVING REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE LINKS Filed Feb. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIGLZ FIG/5 FIG-4 H65 H66 H67 H65 H69 H6 10 2 s 4 l1 "1 I 22 32 5 30 40 Flflll FIG-l2 O INVENTOR-S Samuel Meyerson Stanley Meyerson 39 34 1'4 6T 72M, M I? 72%.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 21, 1961 s. MEYERSON ETAL 3,009,314

LAZY TONGS LINKAGE HAVING REMOVABLE AND'REPLACEABLE LINKS Filed Feb. 8, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS. Samuel Meyerscn.

Stanley Meyerson- %m,, @m K @ZQ A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,009,314 LAZY T ONGS LINKAGE HAVING REMOVABLE AND REPLACEABLE LINKS Samuel Meyerson, West Hempstead, and Stanley Meyerson, Brooklyn, N.Y. (both M.F.G. Watch Band Co. Inc., 9 Deshrosses St., New York, NY.)

Filed Feb. 8, 1957, Ser. No. 638,964 2 Claims. or. 59 79 This invention relates to an expansible linkage suitable for use for bracelets or other purposes, and especially for watch bracelets.

It is the object of the invention to provide a linkage of the above character in which links may be removed or inserted as desired so as to adjust the size of the bracelet as may be needed. In previous constructions for this purpose, difiiculty has been encountered in that the linkage sometimes came apart accidentally. The present invention provides a linkage in which this difliculty is overcome, while at the same time the case of removing or replacing links is not interfered with.

In the accompanying drawings which show certain preferred embodiments of the invention:

FIGURE 1 is a view in elevation of a section of linkage;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of a spring locking plate mounted inside of the front link;

FIGURE 3 is an edge elevation of the locking plate;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevation of one of the front or outside link bases or master plates with the outer shell removed;

FIGURE 5 is an edge elevation of the plate shown in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is an elevation of one of the inside link plates with the back shell removed;

FIGURE 7 is an edge elevation of the link plate shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a rear elevation of one of the outer decorative shells;

FIGURE 9 is a longitudinal section of the outer decorative shell;

FIGURE 10 is a view of an eyelet;

FIGURES 11 and 12 are views in front and side elevation of a spring;

FIGURE 13 is a view in rear elevation of two pairs of links expanded, ready for detachment of one of the inner links from an outer link, parts being broken away;

FIGURE 14 is a longitudinal section of an assembled inner link showing in transverse section parts of the outer links connected therewith;

FIGURE 15 is an enlarged view showing the spring insert or looking plate superimposed upon the base or master plate.

FIGURES 16, 17 and 18 are views similar to FIG. 15 showing modified forms of locking plate; and

FIGURE 19 is a partial view of the construction shown in FIGURE 15 with the eyelet being passed through the slot in the locking plate so as to partially expand the same.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 shows a section of linkage comprising outer or front links 12 and back links 14. The front links each comprise a base or master plate 16 to which is attached an ornamental shell 18 which may be attached to the base in any suitable manner, as by means of bendable tongues 20.

The base or master plate 16 is provided with a central pivot 22, which may be in the form of a tube struck up from the base. Over this fits the base or plate 24 of an inner or back link, which is then permanently secured to the front link by staking over the end of the rivet to form a flange 26 (FIG. 14). A rear shell 28, a part of which is shown in FIGURES 13 and' 14,

is applied to the rear link and secured in place by bendable tongues or otherwise. Passing through the hollow pivot 22 is a coil spring 30 which has an arm 32 at one end which bears against a part associated with the outer link and is shown as engaging the inside of the outer shell as shown in FIGURE 13. The other end of the coil spring carries an arm 34, the end of which is bent over at 36 so that it stands parallel to the axis of the coil and hooks into a hollow pivot in the form of an eyelet 38 mounted in a hole 39 in the end of the base 24 of the inner link. The eyelet is flanged over so that it cannot come out of the hole but it is usually loose therein. The bent end 36 of the spring holds the eyelet erect and projected above the surface of the base 24 so that it may be readily engaged in the slot in the outer link as will be described. The use of the eyelet 38 held in position by the bent end of the spring facilitates construction and assembly of the parts and reduces cost of manufacture. Other forms of pivots may be used, however, if desired. As shown, alternate links are reversed so that there is an eyelet mounted at one end of one link and at the opposite end of the next link. A tongue 40 is also provided on the base of the inner link to assist in holding the spring arm 34 anchored thereto. It will be seen that the spring arms 32 and 34 act to hold the links in collapsed position, except when forcibly expanded, as is customary in this type of linkage.

The present construction is designed to permit the linkage to be separated into alternate pairs, each pair consisting of two outer links and two inner links. Obviously, the means for separating links may be provided so that every pair of links could be separated, or they might be separated in groups of more than two.

In accordance with the present invention, the outer link bases or master plates 16 are provided with slots big enough to permit the eyelets to be introduced therein near the inner ends of the slots and then moved outwardly to the outer ends of the slots in which position portions of the flanges 41 of the eyelets will overlie the margins of the slots. The particular form of the slots 4-2 in the master plates is not important except that the inner portions of the slots 44 must be big enough to permit the eyelets to pass through the same. In the construetion shown, the slots are tapered to a smaller width at their outer ends such that the flanges of the eyelets can not be removed therefrom so long as the eyelets are maintained at the outer ends of the slots.

Attempts have been made to form the slots in such a way that once the eyelets have been moved to the outer ends thereof the links will be finally locked together. However, in such former attempts difficulty has been experienced in that the links nevertheless often became accidentally detached. The present invention provides a means for eifectively preventing this result. This is accompllshed by providing a spring retaining means for holding the eyelet near the outer end of the slot in the master plate.

In the particular construction illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 15, the spring retaining means comprise a spring insert or locking plate 46 which is mounted between the master plate 16 and the outer shell 18 and which is provided with a slot having an enlarged inner portion 48, a shank portion 5% and an outer slightly enlarged portion 52. The locking plate 4-6 is made of thin material such as spring steel, heat treated, and is provided with a slot 54 at the end of the enlargement 52 so as to permit the walls of the shank portion to spread apart slightly as shown in FIG. 19 when the stern of the eyelet 38 is moved from the lower enlargement 48 towards the upper enlargement 52 when a pair of links are being attached. There is enough play to permit a slight expansion of the locking plate inside of the shell. When the eyelet 38 has passed through the shank portion 50, the side walls of the shank spring toward each other thereby effectively retaining the eyelet in its outermost position where its flange overhangs the side of the enlargement 52 in the locking plate and may partially overhang the edge of the outer portion of the slot in the master plate. With this construction there is no danger of accidental displacement of the eyelet from the outer ends of the slots so as to permit the linkage to come apart. However, by the application of sufiicient force the eyelet may be pressed back through the shank portion 50 when it is desired to detach a link.

FIGURE 16 shows another form of locking plate having a differently shaped slot therein, portions of which are rectangular but are connected by a shank portion 50a, the Walls of which are normally closer together than the diameter of the neck of the eyelet.

FIGURE 17 shows another form of locking plate having a large opening 48a and a partial opening 52a which are separated by a raised portion having a wall 50b corresponding with a wall of the shank 50 in the previously described constructions, however, there is no corresponding opposite wall. The neck of the eyelet is constrained by the wall 56 of the slot 42 in the master plate so that it has to be pressed forcibly over the wall 50b of the locking plate which may yield slightly. Once the eyelet has passed to the partial opening 52:: it will be retained therein until such time as is forced back over the wall 50b when the link is to be detached.

FIGURE 18 shows another construction of locking plate in which the plate is provided with an enlarged opening 48b and with a shank portion 500 through which the eyelet must be passed to its outer position when attaching a link. The sides of the shank portion 50c will yield sufficiently to permit the eyelet to pass after which they will spring together so as to retrain the eyelet in the smaller end portion of the slot 42 of the master plate.

Other variations and shapes of the slots in the locking plate may, of course, be employed.

The slots 42 are arranged at alternate ends of the outer links, as clearly shown in FIGURE 13. Each base 16 is provided at its end opposite to the slotted end with a fixed rivet 60, which is shown in the form of a tube struck up from the base and over which fits a hole 62 in the inner link base 24, the end of the rivet being then staked over to form a flange 64. Any other form of rivet may be used, if desired. Thus, each outer link base 16 is permanently attached to one inner link base 24 of an adjacent inner link by the rivet 60. As described above, the inner link bases 24- are provided on their opposite ends with headed rivets or eyelets 38, these being arranged at alternate ends on successive links, so as to cooperate with the slots 42 of alternate outer link bases 16.

We have described what we believe to be the best embodiments of our invention. We do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what we desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An expansible linkage comprising pairs of crossed links, the outer links of each pair including a master plate having a central pivot tube integral therewith and having a rivet fixed at one end of the plate, an elongated slot in the other end of the plate, said slot being wider at its inner end than at its outer end and closed at its outer end, an ornamental shell firmly secured to said master plate, and a thin spring metal plate located against said master plate between said plate and said shell, said spring metal plate having a central hole therethrough and an elongated open ended slot therein registered with the closed ended slot in the master plate and having an enlarged portion at its inner end and a smaller circular portion near its outer end and having shank portions between such end portions spaced apart at a distance less than the diameter of said outer and inner portions, the inner link of each pair of cross links having a central hole therein fitting over the integral tube on said outer link which is formed over to retain said links in permanent pivotal relationship, said inner link having a hole in each end thereof, one of said holes securing the rivet formed at the corresponding end of the master plate of the outer link of an adjacent pair of crossed links, a tubular rivet loosely secured in the hole at the opposite end of each inner link having a projecting enlarged head of a size smaller than the enlarged inner ends of the slots in the master plate and spring plate of the outer link of the other adjacent pair of crossed links, the shank of the tubular rivet being larger in diameter than the space between the Walls of theshank portion of the slot in the spring plate the head of said tubular rivet being larger in diameter than said outer portion of said spring metal plate slot, and a coiled spring having a coil portion passing through the tubular portion of the master plate of the outer link and through the central hole in the resilient plate and having one arm enclosed between the resilient plate and the ornamental shell of the outer link and bearing against a portion of the shell and the other arm bent Over and engaged in and bearing against the tubular rivet carried by the inner link.

2. A construction as claimed in claim 1 in which outer links are permanently pivoted at their alternate ends to the ends of inner links, the other end of each outer link being detachably connected to the other end of an inner link by means of the separable rivet and slot connection described. 

